​'Being Elmo' brings childhood dreams to life

“Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” tells the story of Kevin Clash and his alter ego Elmo. It provides a powerful look at someone who has succeeded at fulfilling his childhood dreams. Shows like “The Wonderful World of Disney,” “Captain Kangaroo” and “Sesame Street” provided Clash with an experience that was different from where he was living. Overcoming poverty and the ridicule of his classmates, Clash got his start at a local television station while he was still in high school. He was able to meet Muppet designer Kermit Love, who took Clash under his wing and was able to get him jobs with “Captain Kangaroo” and “The Great Space Coaster.”

“Being Elmo” provides an interesting look at Clash and how he got to the top of his profession. It also shows how Elmo developed and how Clash uses Elmo’s popularity to connect with people. The film is uplifting and is meant to be so.

However, in focusing on the uplifting aspects of being Elmo, the film only lightly touches on the personal sacrifices that Clash made to fulfill the obligations of being Elmo. At the height of Elmo’s popularity, Clash insisted on being the only person who portrayed Elmo. That meant intense travel and time away from home. It is unclear whether or not the work involved with being Elmo was the cause of his divorce, but Clash does touch on the fact that fulfilling Elmo’s obligations did not give him enough time with his daughter. That changes when his daughter writes him a letter asking him for some time, but there are 16 lost years before then.​With Elmo, Clash has created a personality that the world needs – someone who loves unconditionally and who needs people.